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Accessible Tourism
2010 Legacies Now, the Province of BC, Tourism BC, and numerous partners are working to help make BC a premier travel destination for people with disabilities.
With one in eight people worldwide living with a disability, accessible travellers make up one of the fastest growing tourism market opportunities.
In North America alone, people with disabilities spend more than $13 billion each year on travel.
Accessible Tourism Strategy
2010 Legacies Now, the Province of BC, Tourism BC, and numerous partners are working to help make BC a premier travel destination for people with disabilities. Using the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games as a catalyst, the Accessible Tourism Strategy aims to establish BC as a global leader in accessible tourism, and help to create lasting legacies in BC communities.
Accessibility Rating
Tourism businesses can determine how accessible they are for people with disabilities by participating in an accessibility assessment. 2010 Legacies Now and its partners can then recommend steps to improve accessibility. Often, it only takes simple, inexpensive changes to make businesses accessible for thousands more travellers.
Businesses rated accessible for visitors with mobility, visual or hearing impairments will receive icons displaying this information. These positive ratings can will be used in marketing the businesses to travellers worldwide.
Wheelchair accessibility - partially accessible
Business has no physical barriers limiting entry into the business; however, barriers are present in or around the business limiting access for people using wheelchairs.
Wheelchair accessibility - fully accessible
Business has no physical barriers into or around the building, or to key amenities and services, which would limit access for people using wheelchairs.
Visual accessibility
Business has appropriate emergency alarms and plans, and offers communication material in alternate formats accessible for people with visual impairments.
Hearing accessibility
Business has appropriate emergency alarms and plans, and offers communication material in alternate formats accessible for people with hearing impairments.
Read the Accessibility Rating FAQs
Read the accessibility assessment criteria
Email inclusion(at)2010LegaciesNow.com to arrange an accessibility assessment.
Why does accessible tourism matter?
People with disabilities represent a growing population of travellers. There are:
- 638,000 British Columbians with disabilities
- 4.4 million people in Canada with disabilities
- 54 million people in the USA with disabilities
- 60 million people in Europe with disabilities
- 700 million people worldwide with disabilities
These numbers increase significantly when expanded to include seniors with accessibility needs; the friends, family and caretakers who travel with people with disabilities; and people with temporary accessibility needs such as injury, pregnancy and families using strollers.
Accessible tourism is tourism for all - and it benefits everyone:
- Consumers get more choice
- Businesses and communities access a significant and often underserved market
- BC demonstrates its commitment to equity and fairness
- People with disabilities become more engaged in community life
- Businesses have access to a larger number of employable people
Accessible Tourism Partners
The Province of BC provided 2010 Legacies Now with $1.14 million to establish the Accessible Tourism Strategy. Together with the Province of BC, Tourism BC and numerous other partners, 2010 Legacies Now is helping to establish BC as an accessible travel destination.
Founding Tourism Partners
Regional Tourism Partners
- Tourism Vancouver Island
- Vancouver, Coast & Mountains Tourism Region
- Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association
- Kootney Rockies Tourism Association
- Cariboo Chilcotin Tourism Association
- Northern BC Tourism Association
The Accessible Tourism Strategy is a partnership between the Province of BC, Tourism BC, 2010 Legacies Now, and tourism and disability organizations throughout BC.
